Crushing Limits
by Ayumu Foxtail-chan
Summary: A little drabble collection revolving around our favorite iron dragon and tiny bookworm! (#7 - Combatting Motion Sickness - In which Gajeel and Levy decide to take a page out of Lucy and Natsu's book on how to survive traveling on trains.)
1. Tall Enough

**Hello there! A little collection of GaLe drabbles. ****They'll all be between 100 and 999 words so this is about the shortest one will ever be. :D**** Hopefully silly sweetness ahead! :D**

**I hope you enjoy!**

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_~She'd finally hit that glorious five foot mark.~_

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_**Tall Enough**_

"Yes!" she cheered, throwing the measuring tape across the room in glee. She'd done it. She'd finally hit that wonderful five foot mark and nothing could soil her happiness.

She rubbed her hands together, scheming. She'd dreamed of this day for such a long time and it was finally here. She was absolutely ecstatic. Those jokes about her size would be no more. She could see it now: Levy, the six foot tall wonder.

"Let's see him put his big fat arm on top of my head now," she crowed. Not that that last half centimeter would make the difference.

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_The Duel World Challenge - Elemental Hero Knopse - write about something growing - soil - 100 words_


	2. Big Books vs Big Heads

_~Those big books she loved had many uses.~_

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_**Big Books vs. Big Heads**_

Big books were her favorites. Those ones whose page numbers seemed to defy all logic and whose weight rivaled her own. She loved those books.

Plot wise, they were usually the best. Long drawn-out scenes with more details than she could shake a stick at. Characters formed to perfection, the ones she felt like she knew better than herself. Those big books seemed to have it all.

Not only that but they had extra uses. They made good step-stools –that of which she often needed- they were good for squishing bugs, and most recently, they were very good for chucking at a certain iron-head when he was being too annoying.

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_The Duel World Challenge - Skull Servant - write about something funny - books - 110 words_

**Not that Levy could probably throw a book that far... Hah, it was fun to picture though. XD**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	3. Oblivious

_~He kept his eye on her, even if she never knew it, and he'd wait for her to make the first move.~_

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_**Oblivious**_

It was funny to him how she always had her nose stuck in a book and yet she was so oblivious. So oblivious to everything, to everyone, to him. He knew she thought he ignored her, but he didn't; she simply didn't look over at him at the right times.

He'd never break down and call her something other than Shrimp or say something nice; it just wasn't his way. It was her job, as the sweet one, to be the one to start those mushy conversations relationships were based upon.

And he was waiting for when she would, although, she was apparently oblivious when it came to him.

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_The Duel World Challenge - Skull Servant - write about something funny - "books" - 109 words_

**I dunno. I feel like Gajeel keeps his little eyes on her. 0.o Calling anything about Gajeel "little" just feels wrong. Lol!**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	4. A Sight to Behold

_~He was reading a book... and she couldn't believe it.~_

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_**A Sight to Behold**_

It was a near-terrifying sight to see him with his nose in a book. Him. Gajeel. The one that scoffed at literature and made fun of those who enjoyed it. If someone had told her that she'd walk into the library to see him with one of those big books she so adored, she would've called them crazy.

But there he was… and it was very unnerving. She hid behind a bookshelf, watching the seemingly impossible sight.

And when he eventually turned and their eyes met, wide and horrified, both bolting in the opposite direction, it was an unspoken rule that they would never _ever _talk about what had been witnessed that day.

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_The Duel World Challenge - Skull Servant - write about something frightening - books - 113 words_

**Just a silly little thing. Picturing Gajeel and Levy staring each other down makes me giggle for some reason. XD**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	5. Shield

_~She could hold her own, and nothing ever made him more proud of the bookworm than that.~_

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_**Shield**_

He took pride in his strength. The ability to protect her and those he cared about was undoubtedly one of the things he held dearest. He was the one to rescue her. He was the one who could shield her from harm. It wasn't that he wanted praise for it, but rather it made him feel needed.

It made him feel a little closer to her when he could protect her from harm while she thought through their options to create a strategy.

Although, the one time he'd never been more proud of her, or more attracted to the small blue-haired girl was when she'd stepped in front of him. _'Solid Script: Shield!,' _she'd called. He'd been focusing on a different enemy and hadn't seen the one coming at his back.

And as he looked over his shoulder at her with gratitude and something no short of amazement, she grinned up at him and winked. He'd never felt closer to her than in that moment. Never, and he wouldn't ever in the future either.

Because he took pride in his strength and ability to protect her, but admiration flowed out as he watched her do the same. She could take care of herself, and that made him even more proud than his own powerful assets.

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_The Becoming the Tamer King Challenge - Azulongmon's Task - write about a conflict - 215 words_

**Levy's always so "helpless" but I figured Gajeel would get some weird kick out of it when she shows her strength. Dunno. Maybe that's just me. XD**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	6. Learning through Observation

_~Watching him train was a mesmerizing experience.~_

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_**Learning through Observation**_

She was strong in her own sense of the word. She could hold her own in battle, her mind was sharper than most, but still sometimes she wished she was a little more… physically fit.

She'd tried working out but for some reason her tiny frame and even tinier limbs refused to grow. She'd waited for the muscles to start appearing but they never did.

And so she'd resorted to something she'd always preached: if you wanted to learn something, watch someone who is already good at it.

She didn't know if physical fitness was something someone could be "good" at, but if she was to pick one person who was… it'd be him. Gajeel. He was stacked with muscles and while he hadn't proved it, she was positive he could pick up and throw a train without breaking a sweat. Yes, she was exaggerating… at least she hoped she was.

It took a little while to find out where he trained. She wasn't too keen on the idea of him knowing that she wanted to observe him and his workouts, so she did her investigation quietly. It turned out there was an old abandoned shack out in the middle of the Magnolia woods surrounded by a clearing. That's where he did his training.

Day after day she'd tip-toe after him when he'd go to train, hiding aback of the shack and peering around it to watch him.

He did standard workouts: push-ups, sit-ups, running. He practiced his magic, using trees or rocks as his target and sometimes he trained with Lily, using his Exceed as a sparring partner.

Levy took notes quietly, counting the reps of his activities and trying to make a workout that even she could do. She'd never known how hard he'd worked. He trained for hours, sometimes well into the night, sweat pouring down his face.

He was beautiful, in a way she'd never seen before. Something about watching him in the moonlight, sweat glistening off his body and his metal shining eerily made her heart beat fast and her mouth become dry.

She'd always thought him to be handsome, although she'd never seen him as a beautiful creature before. Something akin to a work of art.

Whenever the thoughts would sneak into her head she'd shake it to rid her mind of them, instead focusing on counting how many bicep curls he was doing.

She'd been absolutely positive she'd hit the jackpot for her own workout routine, as well as completely confident he had no idea she'd been watching him. She didn't want him to know for her own prideful reasons. She didn't want his help for everything. She wanted him to know she could do some things on her own.

She'd been absolutely positive until one day in the afternoon when he'd paused uncharacteristically, sighing deeply before peering back over his shoulder to where she was with a smirk. She ducked behind the shack.

"Y'know if you wanted to watch you could'a just said so, Shrimp."

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_The Number Sequence and Lots of Prompts Challenge - #16 - aback_

**Picturing Levy trying to lift weights made me laugh. ;3 For some reason I see her spying on him working out and just being mesmerized. Maybe I'm crazy.**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! :D**

**~Foxtail-chan**


	7. Combatting Motion Sickness

_(In which Gajeel and Levy decide to take a page out of Lucy and Natsu's book on how to survive traveling on trains.)_

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_**Combatting Motion Sickness**_

Levy honestly had never thought about it before… but no, she hadn't ever been with Gajeel on a train. Why was she thinking about it now? Because their train had just departed with a whistle of steam and suddenly she was staring at a green-faced Dragon Slayer who seriously looked as if he were going to regurgitate his lunch onto her lap.

She shuddered at the thought.

She'd gone on plenty of jobs with Gajeel before and they'd come up with ways to work around his motion sickness. They'd walk sometimes, Lily would help out and carry him others, and even once they'd opted to go by horseback to a job location since apparently horses fell under the same category of 'living non-transportation' options that Lily did. However, sometimes it was unavoidable. She had patted his back as he leaned over the side of the boat they were taking many times, opened all the windows to help cool him off when taking a vehicle, and even once –with a bit of trouble- knocked him out on a long carriage ride to the coast. But no… she guessed they hadn't ever been on a train.

Her eyes flicked around the small compartment, looking for some way to help him out. Lily was peacefully snoozing away in the corner and she debated whether or not to wake him. They were in such a small compartment that the options seemed to be limited for how to make Gajeel more comfortable… or at least defuse the ticking time bomb that was his stomach.

She shimmied over to the window and strained to lift it. Stuck. Figured.

She put on a careful smile. "What can I do to help?"

Gajeel sat still as a statue, his eyes looking hollow as he stared straight ahead at the wall on Levy's side of the compartment. "Nothing. I'm fine."

He was clearly not fine. Maybe he put on a tough face but by how pale he was slowly becoming and the gurgling of his stomach, she knew the truth. She grabbed a book out of her satchel and began trying to fan him with it. Although, it was so big she probably couldn't wave it fast enough to do any good, and she doubted the breeze would make it across to him. She gave up as quickly as she'd started and again began searching for a solution.

She could use her magic, she guessed… although any air she conjured in here would probably turn into a veritable windstorm since it was such a small compartment. She could try giving him food, but in the past that'd been counterproductive with his nausea. She could knock him out again… Although she really didn't want to have to do that. Partially because she felt guilty afterwards and also because he seemed to be in a terrible mood whenever he woke up, whether due to a headache or the fact that she'd used her magic on him, she didn't know.

"Oy." She jumped, looking up to him. Gajeel still appeared stoic, his eyes now shifted down to hers. "Lucy and Salamander take trains to their jobs all the time, right?"

Levy blinked. "Yeah, they do."

"So what do they do to… _combat _his… _deal. _" Levy had never heard him actually use the term 'motion sickness' before and she had a sneaking suspicion that he thought it sounded weak. He tried to ignore the fact that he had any problem with transportation most of the time.

Levy thought back to a conversation she'd had with Lucy on the subject. "Well, she said that most of the time he just sort of toughs it out. She said if they're on a passenger train that has gaps between cars he sometimes goes outside and leans on the railing for a bit… I think these cars are connected though…" she trailed off, her face suddenly heating as she recalled the third option Lucy had stated.

"Anything else?" Gajeel asked, suppressed disappointment in his voice.

Was she seriously going to tell him that third option? Lucy and Natsu were practically dating so it wasn't weird for them… Although she _was _rather close to Gajeel… and he _did _look awfully desperate. "U-Um, yeah she said that…" She cleared her throat, looking down at her lap as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. "She said that on their third or so job as a team he…" Oh God, was she really going to say it? He'd probably reject it… but then again he'd been the one to bring it up so it wasn't like she was at fault. "He lays down on the seat with his head in her lap and she sort of… pets his hair and he's able to calm down enough to fall asleep… I guess."

She felt better once she'd gotten it out. It sounded kinda silly now. It was the sort of thing that Natsu and Lucy did… it kinda sounded like them just by saying it. Maybe she could get Gajeel to fall asleep with her magic and he'd be alright. It'd probably be more effective than lying on her lap, anyway. Her mind quickly slipped off onto a trail of hurried thought. She'd never tried to put anyone to sleep before… She loved finding new uses for her magic.

Gajeel cleared his throat. "Alright."

She looked back up to him, her head a little foggy with her own thoughts. "Hm?"

He still looked completely statuesque but his eyes had gone back to staring at the compartment wall. "If that really works... we should give it a shot." He cleared his throat again, the only sign that he was even remotely uncomfortable with the proposed situation. Or maybe he was nervous? She couldn't tell.

"O-Oh, uh, yeah, um… alright," she said, her eyes growing wide as she quickly scooted to the end of the bench, setting her bag on the floor. She hadn't thought there was any way in hell he would've gone for that third option. Maybe he just saw this as a quick remedy to the situation. She shouldn't make anything out of it.

With great effort he stood, wobbling like a baby deer learning to use its legs as he walked the single step between their benches, collapsing with a huff next to her and closing his eyes. He took a long, deep breath to steady his stomach and she reached out to gently pat him on the shoulder, trying her best to send him comforting thoughts.

Then with a flop a little less controlled than he'd probably meant it to be, he slid down to lay on the bench, his head landing with a 'whompf' on her dress. He was clearly too large for the bench, his legs cramped uncomfortably and his arm hanging over the side. She took a deep breath of her own and chanted over and over again to herself not to overthink this, not to get embarrassed, hell, just not to think about what was really happening at all or she was afraid she'd lose it.

After all, he seemed alright with it.

Her heart pounded. _He was on her lap. _But still… he wasn't acting abnormally, so neither should she.

Like a poorly-programmed robot she stiffly placed her hand atop his head and stroked down his unruly mane of hair. She forced herself to repeat the action, closing her eyes and giving herself reassurances. She would not become flustered… and she would not allow herself to enjoy this. Because if she did she'd probably end up giggling or something incredibly embarrassing like that.

Slowly, his breathing became more steady and she hazarded a glance down at his face. He looked incredibly peaceful, eyes closed and mouth slightly open. His eyebrows weren't pinched in concentration anymore and for a moment, she was lost in the tranquility of his expression. She'd never seen him like this before… The moment passed quickly, however, and soon she realized that their plan had indeed worked. He was going to be alright and she wouldn't have to pay an extra fee to have someone clean their compartment after they got off the train. Hey… maybe she was pretty good at this.

She let a small smile of triumph grace her features and she made a mental note to thank Lucy for the advice –even if it hadn't exactly been advice to begin with. They'd probably use this from now on. And while yes, she was having to constantly suppress the beet-red blush threatening to consume her face and the urge she had to squeal and shove him off… it was sort of nice. She could get used to it.

Her smile was short-lived however as he hummed in contentment once, one eye snapping open and rolling up to look at her as a sneer twitched at his lips. "If I'da known Salamander was gettin' special treatment like this on trains, I would'a suggested taking one sooner." His sneer widened and to her embarrassed horror he opened his mouth, nipping the hem of her dress and with it, her knee below. "Gihi."

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_The Mega-Prompts Challenge - Word Prompts #363 - train_

**Just a super random little silly stupid thing. Not really sure where this one came from... rather than that I've always thought it'd be cute if Levy and Gajeel did what Lucy and Natsu have done on trains, haha!  
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! :D  
**

**~Foxtail-chan**


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